Hi, I have currently joined a company that is over 4 years old with almost 100 employees, but it does not have an HR Department or administrative personnel. The company lacks details of its employees and never conducts any Performance Appraisals. When the management decides to increase an employee's salary, they simply do it without any formal process.
In summary, there is not much in the company related to employees, but it is performing well and is genuine. I have recently been appointed as the only HR personnel. The management wants to revamp the employee details and establish proper standards.
I have nearly 3 years of experience as an HR executive and have worked in 2 companies, but this is the first time I have encountered a company with no HR function!
I seek guidance on where to start to make this HR function effective. What should be my top priority in this situation? I am looking forward to your help.
From India, Trivandrum
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In summary, there is not much in the company related to employees, but it is performing well and is genuine. I have recently been appointed as the only HR personnel. The management wants to revamp the employee details and establish proper standards.
I have nearly 3 years of experience as an HR executive and have worked in 2 companies, but this is the first time I have encountered a company with no HR function!
I seek guidance on where to start to make this HR function effective. What should be my top priority in this situation? I am looking forward to your help.
From India, Trivandrum
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Hello,
Your situation has both pros and cons to it—the con being the dilemma you already have—where to start, since it can be mind-numbing, and the pro being—you have such a good opportunity to make a difference to the entire working environment of a full company, something not many HR professionals have or get even after gathering more experience than you.
I suggest beginning to meet each employee one-by-one and collate the typical HR information that you need to build up the employee records/files. That way, it will also help you establish a rapport with the employees—and, more importantly, clarify the queries they are bound to have along the way, rather than make a separate effort to handle this aspect of HR.
This interaction will also enable you to begin making a list of areas that you need to prioritize/focus on as well as provide data/inputs when you reach the stage of formulating the HR policies.
I am sure other members would have more suggestions to help you pull it off with elan :-)
All the best.
Regards,
TS
From India, Hyderabad
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1650Your situation has both pros and cons to it—the con being the dilemma you already have—where to start, since it can be mind-numbing, and the pro being—you have such a good opportunity to make a difference to the entire working environment of a full company, something not many HR professionals have or get even after gathering more experience than you.
I suggest beginning to meet each employee one-by-one and collate the typical HR information that you need to build up the employee records/files. That way, it will also help you establish a rapport with the employees—and, more importantly, clarify the queries they are bound to have along the way, rather than make a separate effort to handle this aspect of HR.
This interaction will also enable you to begin making a list of areas that you need to prioritize/focus on as well as provide data/inputs when you reach the stage of formulating the HR policies.
I am sure other members would have more suggestions to help you pull it off with elan :-)
All the best.
Regards,
TS
From India, Hyderabad
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First of all, let me request you and other new members to disclose your name so that the members can address you by name.
We welcome you to this knowledge-sharing forum in which you can learn a lot and share a lot with our members.
While joining the company, your MD might have told you the purpose of your appointment. What is his priority? Please act accordingly.
Otherwise, please collect and consolidate all the details of the employees, their application, resume, copy of educational certificates, and experience certificates, address proof, offer of employment letter, appointment letter, their salary details, other benefits, promotion, performance appraisal – everything. Start filing and maintaining individual staff-wise. If the appointment letters are not issued, then start preparing and get the same signed by your MD and issue them to the employees. Keep the accepted copy in their personal file.
Start making the HR policies part by part so that you need not struggle to get them approved. You can start with the leave policy, performance appraisal, promotion, separation, interviewing procedure, joining formalities, transfer, benefits, compensation package details, discipline, punishment, working hours and working day, holidays, etc., one by one and get them approved by your MD so that others will not resist adopting the same.
Wish you all the best.
From India, Kumbakonam
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We welcome you to this knowledge-sharing forum in which you can learn a lot and share a lot with our members.
While joining the company, your MD might have told you the purpose of your appointment. What is his priority? Please act accordingly.
Otherwise, please collect and consolidate all the details of the employees, their application, resume, copy of educational certificates, and experience certificates, address proof, offer of employment letter, appointment letter, their salary details, other benefits, promotion, performance appraisal – everything. Start filing and maintaining individual staff-wise. If the appointment letters are not issued, then start preparing and get the same signed by your MD and issue them to the employees. Keep the accepted copy in their personal file.
Start making the HR policies part by part so that you need not struggle to get them approved. You can start with the leave policy, performance appraisal, promotion, separation, interviewing procedure, joining formalities, transfer, benefits, compensation package details, discipline, punishment, working hours and working day, holidays, etc., one by one and get them approved by your MD so that others will not resist adopting the same.
Wish you all the best.
From India, Kumbakonam
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Hello new HR,
I have also joined the same kind of organization as you. I was a fresher when I joined here, and fortunately, you have three years of experience. I will try to share my experience with you in this regard, which may help you.
1. Don't rush into every aspect of HR at once.
2. Start by maintaining employee records.
3. Begin to collect information that is possible to gather.
4. Concentrate on timing, attendance, and other related matters.
5. Discuss with management to obtain an HR manual for the company.
6. Just because there was no HR before does not mean there was no HR work.
7. Attendance management, salary processing, time management, and everything else fall under HR responsibilities.
8. In my company, HR responsibilities are also shared by other departments like Accounts, OM, etc.
9. If you have a good understanding of IR issues, start immediately. For example, ESI registration, yearly and half-yearly returns, submission of holiday lists, leave record form-15, form-11, form-23, form-24 (these are all related to production industries).
10. If you lack knowledge in these areas, consider asking management to hire a consultant.
11. Introduce job descriptions for each position in every department and try to implement competency and skill matrices for training purposes.
12. If possible, go for an ISO certification which will help in executing HR work properly. This will be beneficial for performance reviews, employee records, individual training, and increasing productivity.
Regards,
Shobha.S
From India, Bangalore
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I have also joined the same kind of organization as you. I was a fresher when I joined here, and fortunately, you have three years of experience. I will try to share my experience with you in this regard, which may help you.
1. Don't rush into every aspect of HR at once.
2. Start by maintaining employee records.
3. Begin to collect information that is possible to gather.
4. Concentrate on timing, attendance, and other related matters.
5. Discuss with management to obtain an HR manual for the company.
6. Just because there was no HR before does not mean there was no HR work.
7. Attendance management, salary processing, time management, and everything else fall under HR responsibilities.
8. In my company, HR responsibilities are also shared by other departments like Accounts, OM, etc.
9. If you have a good understanding of IR issues, start immediately. For example, ESI registration, yearly and half-yearly returns, submission of holiday lists, leave record form-15, form-11, form-23, form-24 (these are all related to production industries).
10. If you lack knowledge in these areas, consider asking management to hire a consultant.
11. Introduce job descriptions for each position in every department and try to implement competency and skill matrices for training purposes.
12. If possible, go for an ISO certification which will help in executing HR work properly. This will be beneficial for performance reviews, employee records, individual training, and increasing productivity.
Regards,
Shobha.S
From India, Bangalore
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Hi,
Please follow the link; it should be helpful. A similar question was raised. https://www.citehr.com/430518-settin...ml#post1948112
From India, Mumbai
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Please follow the link; it should be helpful. A similar question was raised. https://www.citehr.com/430518-settin...ml#post1948112
From India, Mumbai
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Hi Karthik,
As many members have pointed out here, don't get overwhelmed by your situation. What could help you most at this point is to set specific goals that you would like to achieve for the next year; you could break it down into 3 months or 6 months as well. Be sure to discuss this with your top management and get their buy-in. Factor in their expectations from you as an HR professional when you draft this document.
The goals could be a mix of basic things like collating and maintaining employees' personnel files, reviewing and adhering to statutory compliances (your PF, ESIC, etc., would be covered in this), time office, and attendance. At the same time, I would suggest that you do not restrict yourself only to basic tasks since the potential to create an impact in this young organization is immense.
You could include training and performance management in your goals. The training need not be only behavioral; it could be related to safety, 5S, etc. Introduce simple forms for Performance Management and conduct in-depth trainings to integrate it into the organization.
If you would like to discuss more in detail, you could write to me at santhi@metricasolutions.com.
All the best,
Santhi Krishnan
Director
Metrica Bizsol Pvt Ltd.
F-42, Shagun Arcade
Off Western Express Highway
Goregaon (East)
Mumbai - 400063
Ph: 022-42957577 / +91 7738333452
From India, Mumbai
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As many members have pointed out here, don't get overwhelmed by your situation. What could help you most at this point is to set specific goals that you would like to achieve for the next year; you could break it down into 3 months or 6 months as well. Be sure to discuss this with your top management and get their buy-in. Factor in their expectations from you as an HR professional when you draft this document.
The goals could be a mix of basic things like collating and maintaining employees' personnel files, reviewing and adhering to statutory compliances (your PF, ESIC, etc., would be covered in this), time office, and attendance. At the same time, I would suggest that you do not restrict yourself only to basic tasks since the potential to create an impact in this young organization is immense.
You could include training and performance management in your goals. The training need not be only behavioral; it could be related to safety, 5S, etc. Introduce simple forms for Performance Management and conduct in-depth trainings to integrate it into the organization.
If you would like to discuss more in detail, you could write to me at santhi@metricasolutions.com.
All the best,
Santhi Krishnan
Director
Metrica Bizsol Pvt Ltd.
F-42, Shagun Arcade
Off Western Express Highway
Goregaon (East)
Mumbai - 400063
Ph: 022-42957577 / +91 7738333452
From India, Mumbai
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Setting up HR department.pdf
HR department.zip